Once and Future King
by ShadeShifter
Summary: Vin and Chris remember in dreams. ChrisVin slash. Arthurian Legend.
1. Bygones

Part of Crossovers100, more entries can be found at my LJ: shade-shifter(dot)livejournal(dot)com

**Bygones:**

Vin dreams often these days. He remembers everything, even long after the dream is over and he should be concerned with things like completing their case and finishing his reports. He's especially uncomfortable with just how un-dreamlike his dreams feel.

He dreams in vivid detail. The blood is bright red as an enemy falls beneath his sword. It arcs in the orange light of the setting sun and he can feel it warm and just a little sticky as it spatters across his face. He doesn't even pause to wipe it as he moves onto the next man.

He aches. He aches more than he has in his entire life. His arms feel heavy with exhaustion and when he moves it feels like he's wading through mud. He keeps moving because if he stops he isn't sure he'll start again.

In a crowd of enemy colours – followers of the usurper, Vin thinks disdainfully – he sees a flash of blue and gold. His heart skips a beat and he immediately makes his way through opponents until he's reached the man bearing the recognisable shield. Grim green eyes look at him from beneath a helmet adorned with a crown.

"My lord," Vin says a little breathlessly, "I believe you could use some assistance."

The blond man chuckles softly at his gross understatement and they stand back to back against what feels like an entire army. Vin doesn't think he's ever felt such a sense of belonging, even amidst all the chaos.

Later, when he arrives at work, feeling a little uneasy, he looks at Chris and knows. He knows that Chris sees the same dreams when he sleeps. He knows too that Chris knows that they aren't dreams at all.


	2. Misconceptions

Part of Crossovers100, more entries can be found at my LJ: shade-shifter(dot)livejournal(dot)com

**Misconceptions:**

Vin stands across the table from Chris. They're in his kitchen at the ranch. It's a weekend and they've made plans to do some repair work on the barn. Things haven't been the same in a while, not since the dreams, but they've both avoided speaking about it.

Chris puts his mug in the sink and turns to look gravely at Vin, who turns his head a little so that he doesn't quite meets Chris's eyes. He's seen things and felt things that before the dreams he had only an inkling of, and now he isn't sure how to deal with it.

"You remember, don't you," Chris says softly and Vin had never thought that Chris would be the one to bring it up.

"Remember what?" he asks, not quite covering his uneasiness, as he turns to fiddle uselessly with some papers Chris has on the counter.

"Vin," Chris murmurs, "I need to know."

Vin's shoulders slump and he sighs. He knows the legend and he knows the truth, and he knows that Chris won't want to hear either. Chris loves Sarah still, loved her even before he knew her, and what Vin feels doesn't come into the equation. Certainly not this time when things came to a horrifying end before they could even really begin. Chris seems to take his silence as affirmation.

"Did you love her?" Chris asks, and there's a quality to his voice that might be anger or betrayal, but Vin isn't sure.

"Yes," he whispers, brokenly, as the confession is painfully dragged out of him. He knows that things will never be the same again, knows that Chris probably won't want to even speak to him after this, but he's never lied to Chris and he can't now.

"So the stories were true then," Chris says, and Vin can hear the distance in his voice, distance that's never been there before, not with him.

"No," Vin insists desperately. He won't have Chris believing that about either of them. "It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like?" Chris demands, anger growing. Vin turns to look at the ground because he can't bear to see Chris's anger or disdain.

"I loved Guinevere because she was your queen, just as I loved Camelot because it was your home and the Round Table because it was your dream. I loved it all because you did, because I needed… I just wanted to be some part of it." Vin closes his eyes, steeling himself for whatever Chris's response is. He flinches when Chris gently cups his cheek and almost against his will his eyes open to see Chris's aggrieved expression.

"Oh, Lancelot," Chris says softly. Vin has to fight not to drop his gaze once more. This is certainly not the reaction he had expected and he isn't sure how to deal with it.

"My Lord – " he begins, unsure of what exactly he's planning to say. Vin is silenced when Chris slowly leans forward and presses his lips to Vin's.


End file.
